The present invention relates in general to delivery of digital multimedia content via a data network such as the Internet, and, more specifically, to simplified content selection and collection of access charges using infrastructure of the telephone system.
With the proliferation of broadband (i.e., high-speed), always-on Internet connections such as digital subscriber line (DSL) and cable modem access, the Internet is becoming a practical channel for distributing digital multimedia content to increasing numbers of users (by download or real-time streaming). In addition to standard personal computer equipment that may be used to view and/or listen to multimedia content such as movies, live events, music videos, and Internet radio broadcasts, special dedicated hardware devices have been introduced for interfacing with the Internet, such as the set-top box. Nevertheless, the implementation of such use has been slow due to several logistical constraints.
In obtaining content that is encoded in a manner appropriate for their hardware and software configurations, requesting users may be required to possess certain computer knowledge and/or may have to expend extensive set-up time and effort. Furthermore, much of the desirable multimedia content is not available for free, so the user must make an arrangement for paying for the received content. One potential method is to pay by credit card, but many users are reluctant to transmit a credit card number for authorization over the Internet due to security concerns. As an alternative, a user can sign up with a content service wherein the actual payment process is arranged in advance. However, the user is then limited to the content available from the content service(s) that they have joined in advance and they must deal with complicated, separate billings whenever a plurality of separate services are used. Furthermore, access to the content will not be granted until the sign up process is completed which may take a significant length of time.
There have been several impediments from the content provider perspective as well. In the case of a small content provider, the cost of a payment system and/or a membership sign-up process may be impractical. Even for a large provider, the elaborate invoicing and digital rights management (DRM) systems contribute to high costs. Furthermore, the business opportunity represented by infrequent users who might wish to purchase access to one content file but that do not wish to sign up to a service is lost.